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Contractors Losing ODOT Prequalification
ODOT recently made OCA staff aware that two contractors have lost their prequalification. Karvo Paving Companies, Inc., was notified by ODOT that their Certificate of Qualifications has been revoked by ODOT, and Ny-Mac Enterprises, Inc., failed to renew their Certificate of Qualifications.
Winter Conference Date Reminder
This year’s OCA Annual Winter Conference will be held on December 4 and 5 at the Hilton Easton. On December 4, exhibitors will be presenting their products and services, and there will be ongoing technical and informational sessions throughout the day followed by our cocktail reception and casino. The annual business meeting and awards banquet will take place on the 5th. The exhibitor brochures have already been mailed. We will be mailing the attendee invitations in the near future. Contact Rachel Sirca or Emily Pickens with questions. Mark your calendars! This is our highest attended event of the year, packed with relevant industry-specific session topics and plenty of opportunity to network.
Enrollment Underway for OCA’s Workers’ Comp Premium Discount Program
The OCA encourages its members to support our Group Rating program for Ohio Workers Compensation. The greater the numbers in our group, the greater the potential savings for each participant! If your organization completed a Temporary Authorization to Review Information (AC-3) form this spring and/or is eligible to participate in a premium discount program, you should now be in receipt of your savings analysis for participation in the Ohio Contractors Association sponsored group rating program from our administrator, CompManagement. Group Rating remains one of the best programs available to employers in Ohio in order to reduce your annual workers’ compensation premium as it still offers high discounts and many program compatibility options for stacking discounts together to achieve higher savings.
If you are reviewing savings quotes from other program sponsors, please make sure that you are examining them thoroughly to ensure that you are comparing similar discounts and service offerings. OCA works closely with CompManagement to insure that our program incorporates all components necessary to offer the best premium discounts to our members. This important decision affects how much you pay in workers’ compensation premiums, as well as who will be handling any claims incurred by your injured employees. We encourage you to explore how your organization can realize your maximum savings for 2018 with a CompManagement representative. Please contact CompManagement at (800) 825-6755, select option 3 and speak to a customer support representative as soon as possible. The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) deadline to enroll in a group rating program for the 2018 policy year is Monday, November 20, 2017. Don’t miss your opportunity to reduce your workers’ compensation premium – act now!
If you have any questions about our Group Rating program, please contact Mark Potnick, in the OCA office.
Judges Challenge Industry Over Workers’ Silica Risks
Federal judges appeared to reject industry arguments against OSHA's view of the risks posed by silica during oral arguments that could decide the fate of a rule setting tougher limits on worker exposure to the breathable mineral. A three-judge panel at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit heard over two hours of arguments Sept. 26 on whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration showed workers face a significant risk from silica exposure under existing regulations (N. Am.'s Bldg., Trades Unions v. OSHA, D.C. Cir., No. 16-1105, 9/26/17). “We do not dispute respirable silica can cause disease,” William Wehrum, a partner at Hunton & Williams LLP and counsel for the industry petitioners, told the court. “The question is at what level and whether OSHA has proved a new level. It came into this looking for a new level and had its thumb on the scale.”
The previous rule set a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for airborne crystalline silica of 100 micrograms per cubic meter of air (100 µg/m3) for general industry and between 250 and 500 µg/m3 for construction and maritime. The new rule sets an action level at 25 µg/m3, which means that employers must measure exposure at or above this level. For construction, the rule set a PEL for airborne crystalline silica of 50 µg/m3 that went into effect Sept. 23. The 50 microgram limit also applies to general industry and maritime employers with a June 23, 2018, compliance deadline. Click hereto read more.
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